From Staff Reports Northwestern News
The Northwestern News was named the Best Overall Newspaper in its division in the 2020 Oklahoma Collegiate Media Association competition.
“I am incredibly proud of our team,” Editor-in-Chief Jordan Green said. “Our editors and reporters are some of the best collegiate journalists in the state. They’re some of the most hard-working students at Northwestern, and more importantly, they’re some of my best friends.”
The News won 14 first-place awards in the competition, meaning the News won the top slot in every category it entered content in.
The paper also won nine second-place awards and four third-place awards. In three categories, the News won the top three slots, adding up to a total of 27 awards.
That’s the highest number of awards the News has won in recent history, staff members believe.
Each year, the OCMA hosts the competition to recognize the work of collegiate newspapers across the state from the previous year. Newspaper staff members enter their best stories, pictures and graphic design work in numerous categories, hoping to win the Best Overall Newspaper Award. The Diamond Division is comprised of regional universities like Northwestern.
Here are the awards the News won:
Cartoons:
First Place – Michelle Willson
Second Place – Michelle Willson
Feature Writing:
First Place – Jordan Green
Second Place – Sean Doherty
Reviews:
First Place – Michelle Willson
Second Place – Michelle Willson
Third Place – Michelle Willson
Sports Reporting:
First Place – Sean Doherty
Second Place – Dacoda McDowell-Wahpekeche
General News
Writing:
First Place – Jordan Green
Second Place – Jordan Green
Third Place – Sean Doherty
Column Writing:
First Place – Jordan Green
Second Place – McKayla Holson
Third Place – McKayla Holson
Reporting Portfolio:
First Place – Jordan Green
Second Place – Sean Doherty
Enterprise/Investigative Reporting – Individual:
First Place – Nick Dill
Enterprise/Investigative Reporting – Team:
First Place – David Thornton, Ovell Patterson, Jara Reeder, Ethan Everson, Kaylea Brown, Dacoda McDowell-Wahpekeche, Trinity St. Andrews, Destiny Gardner
Feature Photography:
First Place – Jordan Green
Third Place – Jordan Green
News Photography:
First Place – Jordan Green
Second Place – Sean Doherty
Sports Photography:
First Place – Jordan Green
Second Place – Sean Doherty
Front Page Design:
Winner – Northwestern News
Interior Page Design:
Winner – Northwestern News
Green praised the work of the newspaper’s section editors — Michelle Willson, Devyn Lansden and Dacoda McDowell-Wahpekeche — as well as the paper’s reporters, photographers and additional staff members.
“There aren’t many times in life when we are surrounded by talented, dedicated, hard-working, caring, compassionate, considerate people — but at the Northwestern News, I am,” Green said. “This team is comprised of some of the best people I’ve ever met. They love Northwestern, and more importantly, they love serving their peers and providing them with the information they need to succeed.”
Reporters and editors who earned awards will receive certificates commemorating their accomplishments.
“I’m so proud of these students,” said Dr. Kaylene Armstrong, adviser to the Northwestern News. “Everything that goes into making a paper every week – from writing and editing to photography, layout and design – takes so much more time than most people realize.”
Green said the newspaper will continue to improve and serve students in the fall.
“This newspaper is my baby, and this team delivers a beautiful one each week,” he said. “I’m just one small part of an awesome group.”